Alternative Layouts for Grid Questions in PC and Mobile Web Surveys: An Experimental Evaluation Using Response Quality Indicators and Survey Estimates

Abstract

The grid question refers to a table layout for a series of survey question items (i.e., sub-questions) with the same introduction and identical response categories. Because of their complexity, concerns have already been raised about grids in web surveys on PCs, and these concerns have heightened regarding mobile devices. Some studies suggest decomposing grids into item-by-item layouts, while others argue that this is unnecessary. To address this challenge, this paper provides a comprehensive evaluation of the grid layout and four item-by-item alternatives, using 10 response quality indicators and 20 survey estimates. Results from the experimental web survey ( n = 4644) suggest that item-by-item layouts (unfolding or scrolling) should be used instead of grids, not only on mobile devices but also on PCs. While the former justifies the already increasing use of item-by-item layouts on mobile devices in survey practice, the latter implies that the prevailing routine of using grids on PCs should be reconsidered.